Black Friday 2025 – Get Ready for the Sales Peak

Table of Contents:

• Black Friday – what is it really?
• Why is Black Friday a golden opportunity for eCommerce?
• How to prepare your offer for Black Friday?
• Marketing and communication during Black Friday
• Logistics and customer service at the sales peak
• Returns after Black Friday – how to manage them?
• Summary and Black Friday 2025 checklist

In the eCommerce industry, Black Friday is one of the biggest and most demanding sales moments of the year. For many companies, it’s a chance to achieve record results, but also a test – technological, operational, and communicational. Increased traffic, fierce competition, and high customer expectations mean that even the smallest mistake can be very costly during this time.

Importantly, Black Friday stopped being a one-day sale a long time ago. Today, it’s an extended cycle of promotional activities that often begins well before the last Friday of November. During this period, what matters is not only the size of the discount but also the quality of service, the speed of the store, and the consistency of communication across all channels.

So how can you prepare for the peak season, not only to boost sales but also to build lasting competitive advantage? In this article, we analyze best practices and critical areas that are worth addressing before Black Friday 2025.

Black Friday originated in the United States but over the years has gained global reach. It’s a day of massive discounts that falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving and symbolically opens the holiday shopping season. In a short time, it has transformed from a local tradition into a global event that today largely takes place online. It’s in eCommerce where Black Friday sees the greatest growth momentum, attracting millions of customers looking for exceptional deals.

The scale of the phenomenon covers almost every industry – from fashion and electronics to home goods and sports, and even digital services or education. Such a wide range of offers shows that Black Friday is no longer limited to one or two categories but has become a comprehensive shopping event spanning different areas of consumers’ lives.

Black Friday has long remained one of the most important moments in the eCommerce calendar, and the data confirms its growing significance. According to Tpay, during Black Friday 2024 online store revenues increased by as much as 136% compared to the other days of November, which is a 20 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. At the same time, the number of transactions on November 29 rose by 53%, and on Cyber Monday by 51% (ecomersy.pl).

More and more often, however, Black Friday is not limited to a single day. Stores extend their promotions into Black Week or even the entire November, known as Black November. This strategy helps distribute traffic more evenly and reduce the risk of system overload, while also extending the period of intense customer communication. Longer exposure of offers also supports brand awareness and increases the chance of conversion among shoppers who need more time to make a purchase decision.

The variety of categories is also gaining importance. In 2024, the highest revenue growth was recorded in the home appliances/consumer electronics sector (+230%) and health & beauty (+206%). Sports and outdoor stores (+128%) as well as fashion and accessories (+121%) also performed well. Interestingly, health & beauty achieved the highest average basket value – 94% higher than usual.

An effective offer starts with strategy, not with a discount. The first step is to define priority categories and specific products to boost sales, and then set clear rules: discount levels, cart thresholds, exclusions, and limits. Segmentation is also a good approach – different mechanics work for loyal customers, new buyers, or newsletter subscribers. Bundles and product sets make purchase decisions easier and naturally increase cart value, as long as they are logical from the customer’s perspective and don’t reduce the attractiveness of the offer.

It’s also worth placing everything in a timeline: warm-up during Black Week, the peak on Black Friday, and the close on Cyber Monday. The offer should also have its own “command center” – a dedicated landing page or “Black Friday” category to which all campaign communications are directed.

Transparency is equally important. Promotion rules, exclusions, delivery times, and return policies are part of the offer, not fine print. Consistency of pricing across all touchpoints – from banners and product pages to the cart – is crucial, as is flawless functioning of coupons and discount rules.

Particularly important is compliance with the Omnibus Directive, which requires sellers to present the lowest price from the 30 days before the discount. Failure to meet these requirements means not only losing customer trust but also risking financial penalties.

You can find more details and practical tips in our e-book “What Has the Omnibus Directive Changed in eCommerce?”.

That’s why instead of multiplying parallel mechanisms, it’s better to focus on a few clear value propositions, such as themed bundles or short “flash sale” windows. This way, the offer remains transparent, and the customer feels in control of the purchase.

Effective communication around Black Friday is not a one-off action but a well-planned process. The sequential model works best: first teasers and building anticipation, then early access for subscribers or app users, followed by themed reveals during Black Week, with Black Friday as the peak and Cyber Monday as the close. Each stage plays a different role – from building contact lists to activating returning customers to maximizing conversions.

Consistency is key. A coherent benefits-driven language, clear calls to action, and a central offer hub (landing page or Black Friday category) help keep order amid the flood of messages. It’s also worth preparing content that helps decision-making: bestseller lists, gift guides, or roundups of most popular products. Such materials not only shorten the purchase journey but also reduce the number of questions directed to customer support.

The extended promotional period also requires proper management of communication dynamics. Instead of repeating the same slogans, it’s better to build tension gradually – introducing new accents each day, highlighting limited availability, or presenting special bundles. Micro-mechanics, such as short-term flash sales or limited product pools, work well as long as the rules are clear and easily accessible.

Operational communication is also crucial. Informing customers about current stock levels, expected delivery times, or return conditions are elements that influence their sense of security. Amid the heavy promotional noise, clear and trustworthy updates can be the deciding factor in whether a customer chooses a given store.

Black Friday is not only a sales test but above all an operational challenge. Even the best-planned marketing campaign loses value if the store cannot fulfill orders efficiently and on time. Demand forecasting and proper stock management are crucial – analyzing past sales data helps determine which categories require special attention. It’s worth preparing backup scenarios, such as alternative supply sources or shipment prioritization plans in case of delays.

During this period, logistics must work like a well-programmed machine. Clearly defined procedures – who decides on real-time changes, which orders are fulfilled first, what messages are sent to customers – minimize the risk of chaos. It’s also important for the system to provide automated and transparent order status updates. Lack of updates quickly leads to a flood of customer inquiries.

Customer service itself is just as important. This is when customers particularly pay attention to availability and response speed. It’s worth preparing a base of ready-made answers to frequently asked questions – about promotion rules, delivery times, or return policies. This allows the team to handle requests quickly while focusing on more complex cases. Chatbots and voicebots play an increasingly important role here, automating standard queries and allowing consultants to focus on situations requiring individual attention.

A clear division of roles within the team is also good practice: who monitors KPIs, who manages communication channels, who makes operational decisions. This significantly reduces the risk of chaos at peak moments.

Let’s not forget that customer service during this period becomes an integral part of the offer. Transparent availability information, proactive delay notifications, or additional contact channels can determine whether a customer will return after Black Friday. As a result, logistics and customer service cease to be just back-end operations and become one of the key factors in building competitive advantage.

Black Friday almost always means a sharp increase in the number of transactions, and with them – a bigger volume of returns. This is a natural part of the shopping cycle that cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be effectively managed. The starting point is a clear and simple procedure. Step-by-step instructions, an easy-to-use online form, and quick return status confirmations make the process feel seamless to the customer, even if they decide to cancel their purchase.

From an operational perspective, automation is key. System notifications confirming submission, self-printed labels, or return parcel tracking reduce the number of contacts with support and speed up information flow. This saves valuable time for the team, which often works at full capacity in the post–Black Friday period.

Equally important is analyzing the reasons for returns. Data on mismatched sizes, unmet product expectations, or delivery issues make it possible to quickly detect recurring problems. The insights gained can improve product descriptions, information policies, or the way bundles are structured in future campaigns.

Finally, returns can be used as a tool to build relationships. Offering an exchange, a discount coupon for the next purchase, or suggesting an alternative product ensures the customer doesn’t end their interaction with the brand on a negative note. On the contrary, they may appreciate the speed and flexibility of service, which increases the chances they’ll return even outside of the sale period.

Black Friday 2025 is not just one day of discounts but the culmination of activities spread over many weeks. Success during this period requires precise preparation – from offers and communication to logistics, returns management, and customer relationship building. A well-planned strategy not only boosts short-term revenue but also creates long-term competitive advantage.

Black Friday 2025 Checklist:

• test your store performance and purchase process,
• plan a consistent and transparent offer in line with the Omnibus Directive,
• prepare a communication schedule – from teasers to Cyber Monday,
• set up a central landing page with the offer and consistent visuals,
• implement automations, e.g. chatbots for frequently asked questions,
• optimize the returns process and analyze their causes,
• use the campaign to grow your contact base and loyalty programs.

Black Friday is a moment that can determine the results of the entire year. At this time, there’s no room for technical oversights or unprepared processes – even small errors can cost more than the entire promotional campaign.

At Advox, we support eCommerce businesses in preparing for the peak season – from technical audits and performance optimization to implementing promotional mechanisms, automating customer service, and securing processes in line with the Omnibus Directive. Contact us and see how we can help your store get through Black Friday 2025 without risk and with maximum results. Also check out our guide “Q4 in eCommerce – 6 steps to win the peak season”.